By the Numbers: Best #25 in NFL History

When we wrote our first By the Numbers post a year ago, it was intended to become a regular feature until we hit all 100 numbers (0-99…sorry, we’re not differentiating between 0 and 00). One thing I wanted to hold true to, though, was a random selection of the numbers. I don’t even totally know why—I just did.

Unfortunately, unlike our first selection, which had several players all viable choices as the best #81 of all time, research into our second number consistently came back with one player—the best #25 in NFL history appears to clearly have been Fred Biletnikhoff.

With 589 career receptions, 8,974 receiving yards, 76 touchdowns, a Super Bowl MVP (XI), six Pro Bowls (two of them AFL only), two first-team All-Pro selections, and Hall of Fame induction in 1988, he seems a cut clear choice.

Given the anti-climactic nature of the selection, we sat on it…for a year.

Other names that came up on the list:

Tommy McDonald – Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns – With 495 career receptions, 8,410 yards, 84 touchdowns and six Pro Bowls, his numbers aren’t far off from Biletnikoff. Of course, the last four years of his career he wore #29 (Rams), #8 (Falcons) and #29 (Browns).

Bruiser Kinard – Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees – Kinard was an offensive tackle from 1938-1944, when they were allowed to wear numbers in the 20’s…and started his career at a whopping 195 pounds. Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, he was a 5-time Pro Bowler and 4-time first-team All-Pro.

LeSean McCoy – Philadelphia Eagles – The list of #25’s is thin enough that McCoy is one of three active players to make the list…he has one Pro Bowl and one first-team All-Pro selection to his name so far—it wouldn’t be impossible for him to someday stake a claim to being better than Biletnikoff, but he will have to significantly improve on his injury plagued 840 yards rushing from 2012. He wore #29 in his first season with the Eagles.

Jamaal Charles – Kansas City Chiefs – The other active running back on the list, Charles has two Pro Bowl appearances to go with his single first-team All-Pro appearance, and had a career year in 2012 (1,509 yards rushing, 5 TD) coming off ACL surgery in 2011—which would have been much more impressive had Adrian Peterson not lapped him by almost five full football fields.

Richard Sherman – Seattle Seahawks – Sherman has only been in the league for only two seasons, but has one first-team All-Pro selection along with being named a Pro-Bowl alternate this year (yeah, we’re not sure how that works either). And if you ask him, he’ll probably think he belongs at the top of this list.

About The Author

Involved in the digital world since 1998, Tony somehow parlayed his passion for wasting hours online into an actual career, where he now runs a successful digital marketing agency in the Twin Cities. He doesn't have as much time to write for Zoneblitz as he'd prefer, but still makes the site hum, so to speak.